The city of Saltillo lies immediately north of the mountains.

The range is a westward extension of the Sierra Madre Oriental.

The highest peak in the range is El Penitiente at 3,140 meters elevation.

The Serranía is in the upper basin of the San Juan River, and its forests protect downstream water quality and reduce flood risk.

The Serranía de Zapalinamé was designated an ecological conservation area in 1996 by the state government of Coahuila.